TWO HEROS: Perseus & Theseus.

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Transcript of TWO HEROS: Perseus & Theseus.

TWO HEROS Perseus Theseus Born of the daughter of Acrisius (king of Argus), Danaë and Zeus. Once grown he sets out on a dangerous mission to get the head of a Gorgon for Polydectes (ruler of the island Perseus and his mother lived on, he was also in love with is mother and wanted Perseus killed.) Unusual Birth Perseus: Theseus: Born of mortal parents but grew up to be exceptionaly strong (cousin of Hercules.) Call to Adventure Perseus was called to adventure when Polydectes mentioned to him that he would love to have the head of a Gorgon (this was his only/main adventure.) Unlike.... ...Theseus who was called to adventure his whole life in many different situations. Crossing the Threshold For Theseus, journeying to Athens by land which was dangerous and full of bandits, instead of taking the sail boat that his mother and grandfather prepared for him was crossing the threshold. Similarly... ...Perseus also journeyed to dangerous lands in search of the Gorgons' location. Challenges or Trials Here is where our heros' stories start to really differ. Perseus had to travel from island to island in search of the location of the Gorgons and he had to take the eye from the three Gray Women so he could get his gifts from the Hyperboreans, but thats about it. Theseus however, had many trials and challenges and many adventures because he didn't stop being an adventurer until he died. Here are just a few examples... ...killing bandits on the way to Athens. ... killing the Minotaur in Crete. ...conquering the Thebans and forcing them to let the dead of the defeated be buried. ...stopped Hercules from killing himself in anguish of killing his family. ...brought an Amazon form the Amazons and had a child with her, and defeated the battling Amazons in Attica. No one tried to take Attica again as long as Theseus was around. ... the countless times he got Pirithoüs out of trouble and saved his life. Supernatural Helper Perseus is helped by Hermes and Athena throughout his adventure. While... ...Theseus doesn't have a helper. Special Weapon Perseus's special weapons include... a sword form Hermes that would not bend against the Gorgon's scales, a polished bronze sheild to use as a mirror from Athena, and from the Hyperboreans he recieved a magic wallet that would fit itself to the shape of whatever whas put inside of it, winged shoes so that he could fly, and a cap that made him invisible when he wore it. Again, Theseus didn't have any special weapons... The Abyss Theseus has so many adventures that it is difficult to find one that is exceptionally perilous but I think that the abyss stage happens when he is trapped in the Underworld in the Chair of Forgetfulness because that is the only thing he couldn't get himself out of on his own, Hercules had to come and retreive him. In Perseus's story the abyss is when he kills Medusa and takes her head to Polydectes's banquet and showed it to everyone that was there making them all turn to stone including the nasty ruler. Transformation Perseus's transformation is shown when he decides to make Dictys the king of the island and to go back to Greece to see if he could reconcile with Acrisius. Theseus doesn't really have a distinct transformation because he never really stops his adventures. Reconciliation with Father Figure Perseus does try to reconcile with his grandfather but he can't find him and eventually he ends up killing him like the prophecies said (though it was a discus accident.) In contrast... ...Theseus doesn't reconcile with his father because his father killed himself when he thought Theseus had been killed by the Minotaur, but he does reconcile with his son before he dies. Returning Home Perseus returns home when he is searching for Acrisius and when he returned to the island where Dictys and his mother where (which is where he lived for most of his life.) Theseus, similarly, returns home after Hercules rescues him form the Underworld, where he marries Phaedra and reunites with his son Hippolytus. The Mastery of Two Worlds Again, because Theseus never really stopped adventuring, he never really got to master the two worlds because that can only be done if one returns to normal life. Perseus on the other hand did indeed master the two worlds of being a hero and a husband and father. thus concludes my contrast and comparison of the...